How to Tint Plexiglass

Mary GonzalesUpdated February 21, 2017

Plexiglass is a transparent material with thermoplastic properties and is more resilient than glass and plastic. This means that when you warm the plexiglass to a certain temperature, you can bend it into different forms. For this reason plexiglass takes the place of glass in items like windows or windshields in cars. If you have plexiglass somewhere and want to tint it, you can do it but the process is different than it would be for glass.

Roughen the surface of the plexiglass very lightly with wet sandpaper. This will give your tint a surface to bond with.

Wipe the plexiglass clean with a cloth to remove the dust from sanding.

Cover anything surrounding the plexiglass that you don’t want to get tint on with masking tape and plastic sheeting.

Apply a fine, even coat of transparent spray paint in the colour of the tint you want. Depending on the colour you choose, you may need to use more than one coat to get the desired tint.

Let the paint dry in a well ventilated area. You can use a fan to help the paint dry faster and keep the air fresh.

Spray a layer of clear coat over the dried paint to protect the colour. Let this coat dry in the same way.

Remove the tape and sheeting slowly from around the plexiglass.

Tip

Spray paints with built-in clear coat are available, so you can skip that step if your paint is like this.

Warning

Do not breathe in the fumes of the drying paint because it can make you ill.

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About the Author

Based in New York, Mary Gonzales has been writing computer- and technology-related articles since 1995. Her work has appeared in “Tech Trends” and “Mac Tips” magazines. Gonzales received the Lilly M. Fuchs Literary Award in 1999. She holds a Bachelor of Science in computer programming from New York University.